Culture (section)
Live painting
One will never forget works painted by artist Yuriy Yermolenko. They carry a rave of color, flexibility of motifs, and a very special reality. The author of big monumental projects told MAGIC WOMAN, why doll images made the golden thread of his works and what would save the Ukrainian culture.
- Yuriy, how long have you been living for painting? Creation of a painting, the plot, the canvas – is this an outburst of emotions, or reflection of your world outlook?
- I believe that I began to live for painting even before I was born. The birth of a painting on canvass most of all resembles a rite, when you are led by some creative ecstasy, intuition. It should be noted however that the period preceding the creation of a painting is very interesting. Here, an entirely different scheme works, involving a great deal of analysis, collection of information, anthropological studies, maybe, travelling.
- Your paintings are distinguished for intense colors. Does this reflect your temper, or the desire to add colors to everyday routine?
- In the first place, it reflects my temper of an artist and a painter. When you paint a picture, it should sound in colors, as a good musical composition, this is the main thing.
- You have a unique technique of execution – the images are smudgy and distinct at a time. What stands behind it?
- I like it when a painting represents a deep graphic space, full of special light, as if in a dream, in which, images can breathe and vibrate.
- The main question from admirers of art and your fans: what does the symbol of a doll, controversial and mystic, mean to you personally?
- I regularly come back to the subject of dolls in my work for 20 years now. What strikes me the most in this image is that it does not grow old. Of course, some of the paint may scale off, it may become dilapidated, the fabric may lose its colors, but the image of a doll will not change fundamentally, unlike that of a human being. When a little child plays with a doll, they are hard to distinguish visually. This phenomenon greatly inspired me in this project, when I no longer understood whether I was creating the image of a human being, or it still was a doll. One can understand it only with time. As it passes away, a doll remains a doll, while a child grows up.
- Does the concept "people leave, dolls stay" suggest that the human soul personified in dolls continues to live? Or they are kind of defenders, helpers, friends, charms?
- In different cultures a doll could be a charm, a defender, or a mystic helper, but for me, another thing matters: the strange attachment of a doll to its home. You can often observe people leaving their homes for different reasons, and dolls, with which they played, stay there. It involves a striking piece of drama: it is suffice to enter such a house, look at ragged walls, and suddenly see an old doll somewhere on the floor – your imagination will immediately present to you the picture of what might have happened in that house.
- Who, or what, inspires you?
- My dear muse, my angel of inspiration protects and helps me. And as far as the projects are concerned, they may be triggered by a beautiful dream or a journey.
- What really encourages you – criticism, or commendation?
- I am encouraged not by criticism or commendation, but by angels of inspiration. Criticism or commendation take place post factum, as a response to a work of art; both are helpful; the worst thing is when there is no response at all.
- Please, tell us about your creative plans.
- I will continue experimenting with techniques. By the way, my another project was a pure experiment with "flower-dotted" fabric – this decorative pattern dictates the figurative space.
- What do you think of the level of culture in this country? And what is needed for its successful development?
- The main thing is that the state should not forget about culture and should support its development with funding. Ukraine has always been rich in talented people, but talents need help. I am sure that this spring will never cease to produce a fancy firework of new faces and names in art.
